Tag Archives: Independent Music

I want a porch. I want a friggin’ porch so bad. If I had my way I would move out of my Hollywood apartment away from my homeless neighbors who live on the stoop and the drunk assholes ready to kill someone over a double double from In and Out real fast. I want a porch. I want to sit on it and I want to listen to music and relax and drink a lot of beer without a care in the world. I would have massive speakers and a rocking chair. That to me at the moment is “the life”. With Blitzen Trapper as my band of choice and their newest record “American Goldwing” as the soundtrack to my laid back afternoon I think I’m on to something here.

Indie rock, folk rock, southern rock, call it what you will Blitzen Trapper is a rock band. They call Portland, Oregon home and have been touring heavily for the last few years. They just released “American Goldwing.” It’s one part rock and roll guitar laden, drum heavy grooves and one part distinct cool vocals with a southern twist. Blitzen Trapper have created a sound all their own and I’m sold 100% on what they are selling. Next track is called “Fletcher” which is one of my favortie tracks on the record.

After releasing Furr in 2008 Blitzen Trapper fell onto my radar. After seeing them at Coachella Music and Arts Fest later that year (or in 09, I can’t remember) I couldn’t get them out of my head. I have been following them on and off since then. They released an awesome record called “Destroyer of The Void” in 2010 and now American Goldwing is just solidifying what I saw years ago. These guys are tight and have honed this music and are perfecting it.

Despite being from Portland Blitzen Trapper has a little bit of a southern twang to them and then they just kick you right in the junk with a tune like Your Crying Eyes. I think thats what I like most about these guys. They have that southern influence that eases you into the music with familiarity and then they turn up the volume.

The band currently has six members with Eric Early on guitar and vocals with Brian Adrian Koch and Marty Marquis on drums and vocals and guitar and keyboards respectively. The vocal duties are supported Erik Menteer on Guitar and Keyboards, Michael VanPelt on bass.

Blitzen Trapper is currently on tour. Lucky for me they are wrapping up their tour on November 17th at the Music Box in Hollywood. Tour dates page is HERE. Their new album “American Goldwing” is available anywhere where people care about good music, so basically the internet and Amoeba Music on Sunset Blvd. Here are a couple final tracks from “American Goldwing.” One rockin’ and the last track which is not so rockin’ but a great way to end the record. Check these guys out when they are in your town. In fact go out of your way by hours and hundreds of miles to see these dudes. It’s worth it.

Muppets fans get ready. A couple weeks ago the soundtrack to the new highly anticipated Muppet movie was released. Amazing indie rock acts takes on Muppet classics. I love the muppets more than sunshine to the point where it is extremely awkward when people come into my office and see my collection of Muppet shit, but guess what? I don’t care. Muppets are cooler than skinny jeans and flannel. Before I get into the artists and the record itself I wanna kick it off with a Muppet classic we all know and love done a little bit differently… ok, go.

This soundtrack features 12 tracks from folks like the aforementioned OK Go to the sweet solo sounds of Andrew Bird and Rachel Yamagata and pretty much everyone in between. These new takes on old classics are re-energizing my childhood dreams of becoming Animal when I grow up.

As you can see from OK Go’s take on The Muppet Show Theme Song people are doing things a little differently on this record. One of my favorite songs is Rainbow Connection. Done by Weezer and Hayley Williams of Paramore fame. They take a more straight forward approach to the tune and thats not a bad thing at all.

Other great artists include My Morning Jacket with “Our World” and Alkaline Trio with “Movin’ Right Along”. Both are hugely successful acts who have come up through the indie and jam scenes. Another great standout is LA’s own Airborne Toxic Event with an awesome take on “Wishing Song.”

As a compilation this record is a gem and as a compilation involving the new Muppets movie it’s even better. We all know and love these songs and we all know and love the artists covering these tunes. Here’s a full track list just incase your gonna be “that guy” and not just go out and buy the record based on the awesome tracks you’ve already heard.

There is a great balance between the full band blowouts and the small gentle solo acts on this compilation. Songs to note aside from what I mentioned above are “I Hope That Something Better Comes Along” by Matt Nathanson and The Fray with the popular “Mahna Mahna”. To end this thing properly I have to post the latter of those two tracks and then as usual with all my blogs, the last track on The Green Album.

Where can you find ten of the best singer/songwriters from Tennessee in one place to play a concert together? Nashville’s own free concert series: Live on the Green!

Ten Out of Tenn is more than a band comprised of ten of Nashville’s best singer/songwriters. It represents a community of friends and artists that make up one of the best emerging artist scenes in the country. When most people think of Nashville, they think about pop country and honky tonks, but Music City has much more to offer the current music industry. That is part of the reason why Ten out of Tenn came to exist. The band showcases the raw talent in a group of friends that “create organic pop music in the shadows of today’s slick commercial country music industry.” They travel together as a band supporting each other, and as a sum of creative talent on stage, showcasing some of the best and brightest songs and songwriters that Nashville has to offer. Ten Out of Tenn features Katie Herzig, Andy Davis, Tyler James, Trent Dabbs, K.S. Rhoads, Griffin House, Matthew Perryman Jones, Butterfly Boucher, Jeremy Lister and Erin McCarley. Will Sayles is the group’s talented drummer. Check out these clips from some of my favorite new songs!

The idea to form this singer-songwriter supergroup was born while Kristen and Trent Dabbs were on the road. They recognized that some of their favorite music came from their friends who were also emerging artists. “We were thinking about how much music we like that happens to be our friends,” said Trent. “There’s a community of people here with a lot of talent.” That idea turned into a perfect reality when they were able to get a group of other incredibly talented artists to join them. Since then, “Ten Out of Tenn has produced compilation albums, a Christmas album, four tours, showcases at music festivals like SXSW, and an award winning documentary, Any Day Now, that debuted during the 2009 Nashville Film Festival.” The documentary fully illustrates the concept and the purpose behind Ten Out of Tenn, and gives an excellent view of what it means for the individual artists that are part of this team. Check out the trailer for Any Day Now, filmed by Jeff Wyatt Wilson.

Ever go to a concert and can’t wait until the band plays their best songs? Well imagine hearing 20 excellent songs in a row from some of the best singer/songwriters in Nashville. These talented artists and musicians don’t just stand around while one plays their song. They are also the backing band for each other, and it creates such an amazing vibe. As individual artists, these singer/songwriters have “released over thirty albums, had song placements in countless television programs & films, and shared the stage with musicians such as REM, Sarah McLachlan and John Mayer.” However for Ten Out of Tenn, fame or fortune isn’t a priority. The drive behind their purpose surrounds the age-old concept of creating and sharing their music with other people. The bottom line is that this group is amazing. Unfortunately, Ten Out of Tenn has only two more stops on their tour! Stay up to date with the latest music and tour dates from Ten Out of Tenn and learn more at 10outoftenn.com.

It’s gotta be a good night when your band gets to open up for Robert Randolf and the Family Band. That was the case last Thursday night for Moon Taxi when they played at Live on the Green in Nashville, TN. As a new listener and one of many people there to see the best pedal steel player in the world, I couldn’t help taking an immediate interest to Moon Taxi. This is a phenomenal rock band with an incredible musician on every instrument, and they can’t help it that they play awesome music. If you like Music Without Labels, check out this “music without borders” that is Moon Taxi. Here’s a live video of Moon Taxi opening up for Matisyahu at the Fillmore two years ago.

This video was shot just months after the release of Moon Taxi’s Live album called Live Ride that they recorded in their hometown of Nashville, TN. Dirty bass lines, tight drum grooves, killer guitar riffs, and slick organ sounds seem to provide the perfect foundation for great vocals and memorable lyrics. Moon Taxi’s sound has since developed with a couple years of touring, and they are sounding better than ever. Their feel reminded me of Rush with their synced riffs and occasional odd meter grooves, but they have made those concepts their own. Their music somehow combines qualities of many different bands and artists. However, Moon Taxi is their own element, and have completely developed their own incredible distinct sound. Here’s a video of Moon Taxi playing one of their songs called All the Rage.

Moon Taxi toured last year with Matisyahu, which has opened up bigger opportunities for the band and their music. They have also opened for acts such as Umphrey’s Mcgee, Gov’t Mule, the New Mastersounds, and DJ Logic. Moon Taxi has played at a number of music festivals including the 10,000 Lakes Festival, Moe’s Summer Camp, Birmingham’s City Stages, the Terrapin Hill Harvest Festival, and Huntsville’s Big Spring Jam. Moon Taxi will be playing Southern Ground Music Fest with Zac Brown Band and My Morning Jacket in Charleston, SC next month as part of their nationwide headlining tour!

Their show on Thursday was awesome, and I got way more than what I expected. Moon Taxi is a modern-day version of the classic jam band, which is why they are such a great band to see live. They have combined valuable musical assets of their influences and created something fresh. This is why they have been described as a band interested in “music without borders.” Their music is undoubtedly progressive, but they stay true to their musical niche. But wait! There’s more! Moon Taxi is getting ready to release new music, so check out this video and listen to this sick new track called “Cabaret” from their new album.

To stay up to date on new music and tour dates from Moon Taxi, check out their website ridethemoontaxi.com.

There’s a lot to like about Scott Bartenhagen, a 22 year old singer/songwriter from Lathrop, California. He’s not your typical singer/songwriter: he’s 6’7” for starters, loves Sci-Fi and draws inspiration from movie soundtracks and 20th century classical music. A friend of mine suggested I watch a video of his song Delta Fog, and I am forever grateful that I did. Scott’s jazz-influenced guitar playing along with his beautifully deep, soul shaking voice make for an astounding combination. When I met Scott I was immediately drawn to his warm and quirky personality and quiet demeanor. It was a privilege to interview such a young talent, and it’s my pleasure to help spread the word about this rising star. Check out the video of Delta Fog below, courtesy of YouTube, and if you liked what you hear (which I know you will) you can download the song for free via the player below.

MF: When I first saw your video for Delta Fog I was immediately awe struck and completely blown away by the hauntingly deep and poetic sound of your voice. I feel that you have one of the best voices of our generation, I know bold statement, but every time I listen to your songs I am instantly inspired, and amazed. When did you start your singing career?

Scott: Pretty freaking bold statement man, and thank you so much. I sang “Great Balls of Fire” my junior year of high school for a 70’s school dance that the high school band put on. Then I started writing songs, so I’ve been singing for I guess that would be about five years now, I didn’t ever sing before that I was always too afraid.

MF: Have you ever had singing lessons?

Scott: No, I’ve never taking formal singing lessons, but I’ve had good guidance from friends that were great singers that really helped me out.

MF: Like I said, I feel like you have an incredible voice. I remember the first time I watched Delta Fog, your voice gave me chills. It was almost hard for me to believe that that voice was coming from you, it really blew me away.

Scott: Wow man, thank you I really appreciate it that’s awesome.

MF: I feel that writing lyrics is the hardest part of creating great songs, and you nail it on every song. Where do you get the inspiration for your lyrics?

Scott: I get the inspiration from my lyrics from personal experience, or nerding out on something. It also comes from my general love of storytelling. My lyrics have to sound good coming out before anything else. That’s kind of the David Byrne theory of lyric writing. I find words that I think sound great then I use my imagination to put them into situations that make sense when they are spoken aloud. So it comes melody first, then how the words sound, then what kind of words can I fit around those syllables that still makes a great song, and that’s why its kind of a bigger puzzle than if you were just writing lyrics.

MF: In my personal experience with writing songs, I feel that lyrics are the toughest part of writing any song. If you don’t have solid lyrics then it’s going to be harder for the listener to connect to you.

Scott: Oh yeah. I could write like a dozen songs a day, but it takes me a week to write the words for the songs sometimes.

MF: Yeah, that’s understandable I think it’s very hard to write solid lyrics and you do a great job writing great lyrics.

Scott: Thanks man, As long as they’re not too contrived, or as long as they’re honest enough, even if they’re not true if they’re honest and they’re not contrived and trying to sound cool, I like it.

MF: What are your musical influences, and what artists inspire you to create your music?

Scott: Um, my musical influences would be, movie soundtracks, Joni Mitchell, and Jazz. Those are the big three, but I also like singer-songwriters that influence me a lot, like my good friend Travis Vick, a local Sacramento artist. His music has a big effect on me. Also, Bluegrass players and anybody who excels at their instruments inspire me as well. That’s a tough question, because I have a whole lot of influences from a lot of different things. Movie soundtracks are a big one. As well as orchestral music, and 20th Century classical music is where I get a lot of my melodies. So that’s a little bit of an idea of how I get inspired.

MF: As far as movie soundtracks do you have a favorite composer?

Scott: I like uh, I really like Joe Hisaishi, Hans Zimmer’s pretty cool, he’s kind of a hack, and I like John Williams as well. Anyone who puts music to motion, I admire, because it’s all about the emotion other than the notes, it’s about evoking a feeling, which I’m a big fan of.

MF: Is there anything outside of music that inspires you to write your songs?

Scott: Yeah definitely. Various novels, stories that my dad tells me, great Science Fiction, um, trying to get a handle on politics. Not that my songs are too political. I’m not too crazy politically but politics definitely make me angry, and anger definitely inspires me.

MF: As far as Science Fiction is concerned what specifically about Sci-Fi inspires you?

Scott: I like all types of science fiction, usually get inspired by near future science fiction, like Blade Runner, or people like William Gibson who write Cyber Punk. It really gets my mind racing, I really enjoy it. I’ve written some songs based off of stuff like that. A decent amount of my songs have a Sci-Fi twist on them.

MF: You are a phenomenal guitar player, how long have you been playing the guitar, and what inspired you to start playing?

Scott: I’ve been playing the guitar since about, eighth grade, probably a little bit before that. Probably ten years. My mom is a great guitar player so I listened to her a lot and got inspired. Also, I think a friend of mine got a guitar down the street, and that made me really want one. I was already playing trumpet in a band, so I figured I could move onto guitar from there. I didn’t really get into songwriting for a long time, but learning jazz guitar definitely helped keep the fire and passion for the instrument.

MF: Have you had any professional training?

Scott: I was a music major at Sac State, before I left. I took three years of schooling as a jazz studies major. I am a big proponent of taking lessons and learning as much as you possibly can, shedding ego as a guitar player and just wanting to learn. I took lessons from a really great jazz guitar player, and I learned to play with other people in groups for a long time as well.

MF: Also, you mentioned you played trumpet, do you play any other instruments?

Scott: Yeah, trumpet and tuba were my first instruments and then I moved onto the piano and guitar. Those are the main instruments that I can play.

MF: I notice you have a lot of songs ready to go, are you coming out with an EP or a new album in the near future, and if so will Delta Fog be included?

Scott: No. I’m over the idea of albums. Like every year you make your one album, and then you put an EP out and then you make an album that has twelve songs on it or something and then a whole year passes. That whole cycle is formulaic and I don’t think it works any more with the way people buy albums. So I’m kind of into smaller releases but more often. I think that’s a pretty cool idea. I have a few releases coming up, I have a five song project that I’m working on called Speeches, that I’m working on at the moment, still recording. It should be done in the next couple weeks. Then I have another small project on the way that should come out within a couple weeks as well. So within this month I’m hopefully going to have a bunch of new stuff done for the world to see.

And I have a new group as well, with three girls from Sac State, a drummer and a bassist. The three girls are singing three part harmonies as well as playing the violin. I’ve added six people to my group.

MF: Wow, that’s exciting I can’t wait to hear you play with the new band.

Scott: Yeah, I’ve already got to play some shows with this new band and they are really freaking good man, they’re really tight. These two girls sing some amazing harmonies, and we have this bitching violin player who’s incredible, it’s tight man. I can’t wait to play some shows in Los Angeles so you guys can hear it.

MF: What are you thoughts on the current state of the music industry, and where do you see it going?

Scott: I think that there’s a lot of music out there. I think the music industry is pretty oversaturated with the Internet now and I think it’s high time for bands to get more creative with the way they do things and how we get music out there, and what it means to have art. I think there are a lot of creative ways to distribute music, play shows and collaborate. I think it’s a good thing and I think it’s going the right direction. I just need people to start giving a crap, but I guess we need to make them start giving a crap.

MF: As an independent artist, do you find it difficult to accumulate new fans and to be heard amidst the overwhelming amount of music that is out there?

Scott: I do feel it’s really hard to be heard. I feel there are so many different avenues for me to put my music out that nobody bites. I get a good response when I play shows, but it’s hard playing venues when you don’t have a fan base. Promoters don’t promote anymore, venues don’t want to get people in the door themselves, it all falls on the shoulders of the bands, which is I think criminal. Live performance is not geared to help bands. It’s hard finding fans, and it’s hard finding places that want to help musicians get fans instead of just wanting to take their money.

MF: So which one do you think is more difficult? Trying to accumulate new fans, or to be heard?

Scott: I think they’re pretty much the same thing. I would like to hope/think if someone hears my music they’d become a fan. I can’t force them to become a fan. I would say it’s harder to show my music to people in the right context. It’s hard for people to find my music and want to listen to it, as opposed to they have to either actually search for it or they find it on some obscure online radio station that never actually works. So I think they’re both related: it’s hard to find fans and it’s hard to try to get the people who aren’t fans yet to listen to your music to become fans.

MF: I absolutely agree. It was really great to learn more about you as a musician as well as a person. I enjoyed talking about your music, what you’re working on, and the thoughts you have about being an independent artist, as well as your thoughts as the current state of the music industry. I am looking forward to your upcoming projects and attending your shows with your new band.

Scott: Thanks man, I really enjoyed it as well, and I will keep you updated with the projects I am currently working on. Great talking with you, and I will talk to you soon.

I’m going to start this blog off by saying I love music. I love the sounds I love being a part of thriving music scene here in LA, seeing shows and being a small part of the creativity. Back in the day in college I went the standard college radio station route to put myself right smack frickin dab in the middle of arguably one of the most diverse and ever changing music scenes in the country, Boston Massachusetts. Little WERS 88.9 fm has literally made me the music fan I am today and my dad, can’t forget him either. I have been to hundreds of shows and in those early years where I discovered it’s always better in a small club rather than a giant arena I got a glimpse of amazing real talent. This band I’m about to introduce you to is one of those groups whose members bring music and love of music full circle on a personal level. They are the Barr Brothers and their new record is something that I honestly don’t want to share with anyone and keep all to myself, but we all know I can’t keep a secret to save my life.

Brad and Andrew Barr are from Boston Massachusetts. They live in Canada now. They have a band which are called The Slip they share with bassist Marc Friedman and now they are The Barr Brother which the share with harpist and neighbor Sarah Page and Andres Vial who fills the void by playing bass, keys and percussion. My first introduction to these gentlemen was when they were part of The Slip when they were touring behind their amazing album Eisenhower. I remember doing two in studio mixes with the guys one was fully plugged in and the other was acoustic. The first mix was all material from Eisenhower, but the second they shared with me a couple new songs and I gave them my mixes to use as demos to make a new record with. This was about 5 years ago.

I have a amazing treat for this blog. One of the demos I recorded back in the day made it on the Barr Brothers newest release. To clarify my version didn’t make it on, but the song did. I’m going to post both of them. The first version of the song was recorded with Brad playing his acoustic guitar and Andrew playing the studios Steinway grand piano. The second is the second track off the Barr Brother’s self titled release. Same song, years apart.

Pretty cool huh? I don’t know how to play music very well but I’m pretty sure they changed the key. I’d love to know what you guys think in the comments section below. This is one of my favorite songs I was given the opportunity to record during my stay at WERS and as far as the record the music on this release is diverse and something that I could only see coming from the musicians that made it. I think it is truly listeners music. The nuances in it and the light additions of keys and the harp just bring light to the whole thing. Not every song is as light a lullaby as Ooh, Belle after all they were in an experimental rock/ jazz outfit for many years. Try this one on for size.

They still have the rock in them. I love the guitar and vocal pairing on this song. Brad Barr is an amazing guitar player and with the effects used on his vocals with his style of singing on this song it’s a little bit of a wake up and just shows how diverse these musicians really are.

There is a little blues element a little middle eastern rhythm and of course a jazzy element to this tune that really grabbed me and is definitely the standout on a record of standouts. I think tune will drive all the points I just made home. The next two tracks after Give The Devil Back His Heart are quiet acoustic songs, amazing, but then we get to the 7th track on the record called Lord I Just Can’t Keep From Cryin’. Welcome to the delta…

I can’t boast about these guys enough. They are amazing musicians and from my limited interaction with them over the years, they are amazing people always generous to share new music and try new things. I think this record is a testament to their efforts to try new styles of music and play the music that inspires them. From the quietest notes of Ooh Belle to the loudest grittiest notes of Lord I Just Can’t… the dynamic range on this record is really one to be admired. As a music fan I think I can recommend this band and this music to just about any one.

The Barr Brothers are currently touring on their new self titled release and will be making stops in Los Angeles on November 2nd at the Hotel Cafe. Do your selves 2 favors. Get your hands on this record. It is available on Amazon and iTunes. It is also available to listen to on Spotify. Here is the last track from The Barr Brother’s self titled release. Next time I’m going to write about the Muppets, yes the Muppets.

I keep finding myself at punk rock shows in Nashville, but that’s not a bad thing. Nashville’s punk scene has grown tremendously over the last four to five years and is now thriving. This particular show at The End was packed with a younger crowd ready to rock, and I don’t think the bartender sold less than a hundred PBRs… per hour. With a lineup of underground Nashville bands Watusi, Spanish Candles, Evan P. Donohue, and Diarrhea Planet, this show was set up to be a wild night. All the bands that night put on killer shows, but I was particularly interested in hearing music from Evan P. Donohue and his band.

Evan P. Donohue is a local independent Nashville songwriter and artist who has set himself apart from the typical rock bands in Music City. He writes intelligently through stories about semi-fictional characters and experiences from his life. With his drummer Mike Kavouras, Donohue arranges and develops music that that creatively supports and nourishes the lyrics and stories in his songs. There aren’t too many young indie rock bands with this combination of musical excellence and purpose behind clever ideas and words. Evan P. Donohue continues to push his music to new heights, and released a full-length debut album last year called Rhythm & Amplitute to do just that. Check out one of my favorite songs from the album, “O Justice!”

The entire album cannot be confined to just one specific genre because I find a complex combination of feels in the music that associate with past and contemporary rock, pop, surf-rock, and Americana artists. This rings true, since some of Donohue’s influences are T.Rex, Elvis Costello, Of Montreal, Beach Boys, Tom Waits, and David Rawlings. Rhythm & Amplitude plays with a variety of musical styles, and the songs are a collection of reality-turned fiction stories that blend while maintaining truth as their foundation. Evan P. Donohue’s bio states, “Masterfully crafting sardonic portraits of decidedly earnest characters, Evan P. Donohue poetically chooses his words to express the struggles and affections his often tragic characters experience by the choices they’ve faced in life. The surf-rock ballad “California Sunshine” speaks of a middle-aged man who rebels against the monotony of his life, eventually finding peace and happiness “sleeping under Starlight”, a prostitute employed at the Mexican brothel where the track gets its title.” I really couldn’t have said it better myself! Check out some more music from Evan P. Donohue’s Rhythm & Amplitude:

Whether it’s taking old stories and making them new or creating new truths with current realities, Donohue has something undeniably great. His music tells tales, embraces ideas, and develops new songs that go far beyond today’s pop hits. Nashville seems like an excellent fit for this up-and-coming artist who is set to debut more recordings this fall. On November 11, 2011, Evan P. Donohue will be releasing a 7-inch called Jazzputin. The record will contain two new songs that I, and every single one of his fans are very excited about. Listen to more music, stay up to date with Evan P. Donohue, and buy an Rhythm & Amplitude!

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